A Look Inside the Wake Forest QB Room
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With football season approaching quickly, the question of who will lead the Wake Forest offense this fall is still up in the air. The QB room went through an interesting transition this year, with many young arms hitting the portal. However, Rob Ezell's offense also gained a few signal callers from the Transfer Portal. Who are the candidates duking it out for the position?
Robby Ashford - The Veteran
The first signal caller to discuss in this room is the veteran presence in the room, Robby Ashford. Robby makes his way to Wake Forest via SEC powerhouses South Carolina and Auburn. Ashford transferred to Auburn from Oregon and eventually found his way to a starting job at Auburn in 2022.
That year, Ashford threw for 1,613 yards in nine starts and twelve appearances. He had just under a 50% completion percentage and recorded seven passing touchdowns on the year. His seven interceptions were an area of concern; however, his seven rushing touchdowns kept Tiger fans excited about the prospect heading into 2023.
In 2023, Ashford never really found his stride, although he appeared in ten games throughout the year. Thus, he made his way to SEC rival, the South Carolina Gamecocks, for his redshirt junior year.
In Columbia, Ashford backed up LaNorris Sellers and appeared in eight games, starting one of them. His sole start was against the Akron Zips, where he passed for 243 yards and threw for two touchdowns. On the ground, he added 133 yards and one touchdown.
During his 2024 campaign as a Gamecock, Ashford threw for a 71.9% completion rating. He also used his legs to rush for 278 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
A true dual-threat quarterback seems to be a very exciting fit in Rob Ezell's backfield, especially alongside star halfback Demond Claiborne. If Ashford is the starter on August 29, the ACC better be careful with the Wake Forest backfield.
Deshawn Purdie - The Gunslinger
The second candidate for the starting quarterback role is the in-state transfer, Deshawn Purdie. The rising sophomore from Baltimore, Maryland, makes his way to Winston-Salem from the UNC Charlotte 49ers.
Unlike Ashford, Purdie only has one year of experience in college football. In his freshman year as a 49er, Purdie started six games and appeared in nine total games. After he hit the transfer portal, many Power Four programs tried to sway Purdie to come to their program.
Most notably, Purdie was originally signed to the Florida Gators after entering the portal. He chose the Gators over the likes of Georgia, North Carolina, and Auburn. In January, he asked to be released from his papers. Jake Dickert and company were fast to express their interest in Purdie, and he committed shortly after.
In his time at UNC Charlotte, Purdie threw for 1,802 yards and added ten touchdowns to his name as a true freshman. He carried a 50% completion rating in his freshman year, and his arm strength was on full effect throughout the year.
Against Florida Atlantic University, Purdie threw for a season-high of 396 yards and also tossed three touchdowns in that same game. Furthermore, against the Tar Heels, Purdie had two passing touchdowns and threw for 134 yards in the air.
In the spring game this year, Purdie tossed for a touchdown to freshman receiver EJ Reid. The Spring Game was Purdie's "best day" of the spring according to Jake Dickert.
While Ashford is a more proven runner of the football, Purdie proved to have quite the impressive arm as a true freshman. Purdie's six interceptions in 2024 are rather alarming; however, his youth and upside make him a likely candidate to take the starting job in Deactown. It will also be cool to watch Ashford and Purdie's relationship develop through their conversation.
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Steele Pizzella - The Dark Horse
Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie are definitely the favorites to lead the Wake Forest offense heading into the 2025 season. However, the third name on the depth chart will also be looking to break through into the lineup. That name is the rising freshman from Simi Valley, California: Steele Pizzella.
Pizzella was rated the 26th overall dual-threat prospect in the 2025 class and was originally committed to Washington State before Jake Dickert and his staff made the move to Winston-Salem. Pizzella decided to ride the wave to the East Coast with Dickert.
In his senior year, Pizzella threw for 2,610 yards and added 29 touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for another 1,040 yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
Pizzella is a very exciting prospect in the QB room. He won the "Juice" award multiple times this spring, which was given to a player on offense and on defense who brought the juice and energy that day. It will be interesting to see if Pizzella gets any game time this fall; however, if he does, I would expect him to take the opportunity and run with it.
So... who is the guy?
During ACC Media Day this past week, Head Coach Jake Dickert mentioned that "the people we trust the most will be taking the field on the offense." Who that guy is at the quarterback position is still undetermined, but I would expect to see some split time between Robby Ashford and Deshawn Purdie to start the year.
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Ryder is a Junior at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He is studying Accountancy but has a passion for college athletics. He serves as the Treasurer of the Old Gold and Black, Wake Forest’s Student-Run newspaper. He has also served as a play-by-play analyst for his high school’s football and basketball games.